DlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 20,1980
Hungry birds cost farmers millions in damage
UNIVERSITY PARK -
Hungry birds annually are
destroying between $ll
million and $2l million worth
of Pennsylvania’s
agricultural crops, or three
to six percent of crop far
mers’ net income
So conclude Penn State
researchers who have done
a massive survey of far
mers, county extension
directors and district game
protectors in 64 of the state’s
67 counties
“What’s happening,” says
John L. George, professor of
wildlife management, “is
that blackbirds, particularly
the ‘common grackle’ and,
to a lesser degress, the
‘cowbird’ and ‘red winged’
varieties, are feeding on
crops, m flocks sometimes
100,000 strong, rarely
reaching 1,000,000.
“Our survey shows that
blackbirds, as well as
starhngs and crows, are
doing significant damage to
many grains and vegetables.
Moreover, it seems that
blackbirds and starhngs are
only second to robins in
destruction of cherries,
blueberries and
strawberries; and compete
with and sometimes surpass
robins in eating of grapes,
apples and other fruits ”
Seeking a solution to a
growing nationwide pest
problem, a team led by
George surveyed 4500 or 12
percent of the state’s largest
commercial farms (with an
average of 135 acres in
crops)
Tallying 2413 usuable
responses and extrapolating
to all Pennsylvania farms,
thev determined that
Ripening grain crops are
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Happy New Year
Bangor, PA EncHemsohn
Baptistown, NJ Cindy Gordeuk
Columbia, PA James Charles
Ephrata, PA Darvm Voder
Holtwood, PA Paul Herr
Lebanon, PA Paul Martin
Leola, PA Lynn Gardner
Port Murray, NJ Robert Kayhart
Prospectvillf, PA William Tyner
Reading, PA Robert Greider
Stewartstown, PA Tom Engle
Thomasville, PA Ira Boyer
West Grove PA Maurice Stump
Elmer, NJ Cyndy Helzell
Taneytown, MD Jack L Ktmg
Mt Airy, MD Allan Pickett
Allenwood, PA George Showers
Carlisle, PA Wayne Piper
Coburn, PA Wendel Musser
Linden, PA Larry Bower
Mansfield, PA Harold Robson Jr
McClure, PA Michael C Ewing
Millville, PA Wilmer Hendricks
Mifllmburg, PA John M Beachy
Mifflmtown, PA Mervm Zendt
Reedsville, PA Glenn Barr
Ulysses, PA Bonnie Barker
BBS
sustaining the heaviest
damage, followed by fruit
and livestock feedlots.
While, bushel-wise, the
greatest losses are,
respectively, in field corn,
oats, sweet corn, grapes,
cherries and apples, fruit
farmers, especially grape
growers, are losing the most
on an individual basis-up to
$5OOO an acre Cherry and
apple growers also are
suffering significantly.
Overall, 5.7 percent of
farms are sustaining
“serious” losses (over 20
percent); 16.7 percent
“moderate” losses (six to 20
percent); and 27 7 percent
“slight” losses.
Damage to field corn,
while heavy, is not
economically significant. In
1979, birds destroyed an
estimated 630,000 bushels
worth $1.4 millhon; but this
comprises only half-a
percent of Pennsylvania’s
field corn crop. While some
farms may sustain severe
losses, far more field corn is
lost overall to mechanical
pickers and combines than
to birds
Grain damage occurs
statewide, but most fruit loss
is in the Southeast and in
Erie County. The mam
livestock feedlot damage
also occurs primarily in the
Southeast, mostly in the
winter when the ground is
snow-covered-because sev
eial million birds, mainly
blackbirds and some
starlmgs-roost there instead
of migrating south
Most crop damage is being
done by blackbirds, starhngs
and robins. But these birds
also benefit farmers
throughout most of the year
by eating large numbers of
the insects which devour
crops or affect livestock.
Disease transmission may
be growing problem in
Pennsylvania. Diseases of
hogs, chickens and humans
may be spread or caused by
birds, and this issue should
be studied
The possibility of suc
cessful pest control vanes
with the crop and bird
species, for economic and
other reasons
These are the major
conclusions of a final report
submitted in September to
the researchers’ sponsor, the
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture.
George and his colleagues
-R.G. Wmgard, professor of
wildlife management, JS.
Wakeley, associate
professor of wildlife
ecology; and R C. Mitchell,
a research assistant,
maintain that there are no
easy ways to deal with the
situation.
“While bird damage to
agnculture is an age-old
problem,” George says,
“today’s realities require
diverse and perhaps in
novative solutions For
example, not only are pest
control measures expensive
but often the only truly ef
fective long-term answer
killing the birds--is
dangerous or often offensive
to people, or requires special
permission ”
Significantly, he con
tinues, the blackbird
phenomenon is fast
emerging as a central pest
control issue For in Penn
sylvania and elsewhere,
blackbird numbers have
soared to a current
population in the hundreds of blackbirds have replaced only do they outnumber
mdhons. starlings as the chief starlings, but some are
Today, George says agricultural bird pest. Not (Turn to Page Dl9)